travel abroad

Well, I am still waiting for the German consulate to issue my visa. I have been told that it should not take more than 12 days after the visa application. They are supposed to give me a call within this period of time in order for me to come and retrieve my passport (Reisepass). Since yesterday was the 13th day and I have not yet received a call till this moment. I had no choice but to go there yesterday and demand to know what’s taking so long.

I was there around 9:30 AM and I was told that they were still checking my hotel reservation and that the Hotel there in Germany had not responded back to them yet. Well that was it…their excuse did not sound logical nor respectful to me as amongst the documents that I submitted was a hotel booking paper.

Well, I guess there’s nothing to do now but wait and resign myself to adjourning Die Reise till March next year.

I was at the German consulate last Saturday at 10:00 AM. I did not get the chance to submit my papers as we’ve been told that they ran out of numbers so we’d have to come another time. It was a disappointment for me then but I did not give up and the evidence o that is that I headed to the HR dept. on the following day to inquire about the possibility of obtaining a medical insurance certificate in order to add it the visa-requirements dossier for it is one of the visa-requirements the consulate needs. It did not take long for me to get it; I actually received it one day later. Then I was truly grateful for I thought that my insurance cared was sufficient. It was Lubna—HR employee – who negated this idea beyond doubt. I have been also told my another co-worker named Islam that I could ask my travel agency to hand me the Hotel and Air-ticket voucher in order to present them the consulate as well. It turned out later that the Air-ticket is no problem but as for the Hotel reservation I will have to pay the full amount in advance then in case I did not get the visa I’ll be able to cancel my hotel reservation and get my money back minus a little amount according to their cancellation policy.

Anyways, I intend to go again to the Travel Agency next Tuesday and to the Consulate next Wednesday in order to see what can be done. Well, I think I am doing my part in order to make this work.

I was supposed to go to the German Consulate today to initiate my visa process. They take applications between the hour of 8 am & 11 am. So I got up at 9 sharp then I was ready to go at 10. I should have arrived there at 10:30, that’s unfortunately how I thought and that would have been true only if I got in a taxi shortly after I started trying to get one but unfortunately I forgot that things don’t always take the course that I want them to take—So The Secret is a hoax? Damn!!

Anyway, I’ll go again next Thursday…I have that day off and this time I’ll use what I have learnt today to get there on time. Fortunately, I’ll be given a lift next Thursday in order not to have to wait till I get a Taxi. But, anyway, I guess this was not the problem today, was it? The problem was rather my poor planning. Well anyway, I am not in a rush these day to obtain my visa as the trip is not available any more on the date I wanted to fly. Therefore, I will book the 4th of Nov. trip instead. Hope it waits for me though. In case otherwise, I will look for another one, been told that visas remain valid for months, don’t they?

What I should have done instead and did not:

1. I should have Got all the documents I would need ready on the other day.
2. If I truly had cared to arrive on time. I should have called to get a taxi ready & waiting for me in the morning. Or, I should have been on the street by 9:30 at max.

I will apply for a vacation tomorrow at work. It’ll start on the 19th of Sept. and will end on the 30th. I intend to spend almost the entire vacation in 3 cities; Munich, Salzburg & Vienna. I just hope I could obtain the Visa on time and still find a place for me to book.

In case I could not for some reason travel with the group of this travel package I plan to go spend the whole vacation in Egypt instead where I will get together with the rest of my family.

One of the main reasons I want to travel alone to Europe is to relax and have a wonderful time, depend on myself, conquer my damn fears and prove to myself that I can.

The key word is ‘Simplify’; if you simplify your problems and fears you’ll definitely be capable of unknotting all the entanglements of your illusions and you’ll you able to see their real size and only then will you realize that they could not be any tinier.

And always remember that your mind sucks at probability.

After my 6 months probationary period at MBC ends I plan to go visit an european country. I still have not settled on which country I want to fly to first.

It’ll be a recreational and educational trip at the same time (zugleich).

I need to come back from it with a relaxed body and mind, more open-minded and more confident.